ToeJam & Earl: Back in the Groove takes what you remember of the original and refines it in a way that makes your memories of the original bleed into the new experiences you are having. It is such a perfect execution of what made ToeJam & Earl so brilliant. Oozing with charm and hilariously challenging gameplay, ToeJam & Earl: Back in the Groove is a crowning achievement in retro sequels. This is the new standard. ToeJam & Earl: Back in the Groove is positively fantastic.
Everything you remember about the original games is here: wacky earthlings looking to kill you or take your lunch money, a map that changes every playthrough, and of course…PRESENTS! Rocket Shoes, Tomatoes, Icarus Wings, they are all there. What is amazing about what is here from the older games is that you may actually find yourself looking up what was new and what was old because the new items and earthlings are so seamlessly integrated into this latest installment. It is a testament to Greg Johnson and his team at HumaNature Studios’ passion for this franchise. Nothing is out of place. Nothing is accidental. The charm and funk that made ToeJam & Earl the hit it was in the 90s is recreated here with just as much love, care, and attention to detail.
The first thing you will notice here is crisp hand drawn art with a three dimensional flair. The colors pop and the animations, while simple looking on the surface, look absolutely wild when in action. Earl’s walk is full of lumbering funk and ToeJam’s swagoo is palpable. Earthlings are wacky and vibrant, while also being slightly uneasy and terrifying. A smile will splash across your face from the very start of your first of many adventures on Earth.
The game starts like the TJ&E of old – The Alien duo (along with Latisha and Lewanda) are messing around in a spaceship and they accidentally crash land on earth spreading their ship pieces all about the planet. You wander around encountering earthlings looking to kill you or occasionally help you out. You collect presents full with items that help or hinder your adventure, all while looking for ship pieces and the elevator to the next level. There are plenty of hidden secrets in each level, one of which is the Hyper Funk Zone. The Hyper Funk Zone is a 2D side-scrolling bonus level where the goal is to collect as much loot as possible. It is fast-paced and challenging, but once you get the hang of it you will end up looking for it every level. The variety of earthlings is really great, although after about a dozen or so playthroughs, you might start to crave new additions.
Your first play-through will be a shorter, carefully plotted out map for you to tackle and get used to the mechanics. This is where you learn the best use of money found (to unlock unidentified presents obviously), how to use the most popular items, and the behaviors of the earthlings. The “tutorial” is a great way to learn everything, while not bogging you down with on screen text and boring tasks. You are still playing the core game, just in a controlled environment. But once you finish that first level you unlock more challenging fixed map mode where you can change your difficulty (which you can change every time to load your save, just in case things are too easy or difficult for you). Once you finish THAT play-through, that’s where the fun goes from 10 out of 10 to an 11.
In between collecting ship pieces and fending off earthlings, you earn experience to level up. Previous games (mostly the first game is being referenced here as it is the most similar to Back in the Groove) leveling mad very little effect on gameplay. Here, though, you will spin a wheel three times and gain points in various stats. You can level up the size of your health bar, your character speed can increase, your luck (ability to find items in trees and bushes), inventory size increases, vision (search radius), and your presents skill. The presents skill is the most useful due to its ability to use broken presents more likely and in some cases you FIX the presents right when you pick them up – super useful especially when your inventory is full and you need to choose which presents make the cut. The fact that your character starts with some increased stats and abilities makes replay-ability higher than ever.
It should be noted, as far as multiplayer sessions go; the console version of the game has 2 player couch co-operative play and 4 player online, and the Steam version has 4 player online and local play. So if you are a gamer that routinely has buddies over, the Steam version might be best. If your style is more solo or squading up online, the Switch version should do just fine.
Obviously if you played the original game you know the pure joy and anger a co-operative game of ToeJam & Earl can foster. Well it is here in all its glory. Playing online takes away some of that magic a bit, but it is seamless and without hiccups. Online sessions can be a bit tough communication wise, but they instituted a text wheel to alert the other players of some items and enemies. Simply saying “over here” can do wonders when your teammate is wandering aimlessly being chased by a mall cop on a segway.
Speaking of hiccups, the only real complaint here is that the game has very long loading times. Starting a game takes upwards of about a minute to load and going level to level can sometimes be longer. The chatter between characters in the elevator and incredible tunes make it go by faster, but once those lines start repeating it can get arduous.
Speaking of tunes, this game has some of the best music in video game history. Granted it is not a diverse soundtrack as far as genres, but this game is all about FUNK. Boy is it FUNKY. You will find yourself bopping you head and booting up Spotify in your spare time to listen to Cody Wright’s incredible soundtrack. Strange looks on the ride to work be damned. This music “slaps” as the kids say.
ToeJam & Earl: Back in the Groove takes a proven formula of zany action, colorful characters, and rogue-like level design, and adds modern day funk to create the ultimate experience for retro and new gamers alike. You’ll be spending hours laughing through many play-throughs while unlocking some fun new characters to mess around with in a beautifully realized funkadelic world. Whether you are fans of the original, or a newcomer inspired by the recent resurgence of “old skool” (as Greg Johnson like to call it) gaming, ToeJam & Earl: Back in the Groove is a must play.
Switch game code provided by HumaNature Studios for review.
